Safety bank counter



Patented June 12, 1923.

HIBAM STOUT, F NEWTON, KANSAS.

sum ram: comm Application filed February 24, 1990, Serialhllo. 380,578. Renewed February 20, 1928;

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, HIRAM S'roU'r, a citizen of the United States, residin atv Newton, in the county of Harvey an ,State of Kansas, have invented a new and, useful Safety Bank Counter, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improved safety bank counter designed for the3purpose of protecting oflicers and em loyees of anks or the like against being he d up and robbed. p

It is a own fact that bank officers are held up at the point of a gun or pistol and are compelled to hand over the funds of the bank, because the robbershave the advantage and sofar, no proper means has been provided to prevent this.

The present invention is devised to prevent these holdups and is intended to give the bank ocers the advantage over the robbars so that. they can protect theprop'erty at the bank, the invention embod ing a novel protective front or railing or the bank counter, improved means for closing the bank window, and improved means whereby the oficers and employees may be protected while firing at a would-be hold up and the counter being constructed in a novel manner so that for all purposes and intents, its external appearances, that is from the front of the counter does not indicate any special construction, whereas, in fact, it is constructed to protect the oficers against attack, while permitting the required action ontheir part for the protection of the bank U funds.

With the above and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being. understood that within the scope of what is claimed, changes in the precise embodiment of the invention shown can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. a

In the accompanying drawings Itigure 1 is a rear elevation of a safet bank counter constructed in accordance wit the invention;

Figure 2 is a vertical transverse sectional,

view thereof at the window opening;

Fi re 3 is an enlar d fragmentary hori-' zont sectional view t rough the grating or railing of the counter;

, arran Figured is a vertical sectional view show 1,458,202 ED STATES PATENT OFFICE."

ing a modified construction for closing the window openingor slot and Figure 5is a plan view of the construe tion shown in Figure 4.

Referring to the drawings in detail,

which like reference characters designate correspondmg parts throughout the several views, my improved safety bank counteris shown as comprising a frame including cor ner legs having a top'll and a front portion 12, said front portion comprising a thick section of board or other materlal which may be suitably armored or otherwise protected against the penetration of bullets, and is provided at spaced points the ocials may fire at the hold-up or robber. The front 12 comprises a continuous surface so as to obviate the appearance of any unusual construction, the front portion at the front ends of the pipes being relatively thin as indicated at 1% so that a bullet may readily penetrate the same should the ofiicial find it desirable or necessary to fire with a seriesof short sections of pipe 13 horizontally and through which" on the-hold-up, although this construction is unbeknown to the latter and therefore furnishes protection which is enhanced by reason of the fact that the robber would not know the location of the pipes. Arranged at the front of the counter is a grating or railing 15 comprising a series of uprights or vertical steel bars securely fastened at the top or 'bottom and high enough and close enough to th'er to m vent the hold-up from shooting over t em or between them at the bank ofiicers. These bars are frusto-pyramidal in cross section being wider at their outeredges than at their inner edges so as to form outwardly tapering spaces'16 therebetween. This construotion permits comparatively clear view for those behind the counter and railing to t'over t e railing.

e railing of the counter is provided with an opening 19 inwhich is hinged a door 20 also formed of rails corr riding .10. while obviating such by those in front. Ar-

ion a and well night impossible to undertake or to the rails or bars 15, hinged in t e usua I a manner, and provided with suitable for locking the same in a closed position. The gate terminates at a spaced distance from the top of the counter to provide a slot 21 through which business may be transacted, but in order to close this space and to protect the official, paying teller or receiving teller or other employee, from being shot, the top of the counter is provided with an insert plate 22 preferably of steel and hinged as shown at 23 so as to swing upwardly to close the slot or opening 21 under the action of suitable means such as a spring 24. The plate is held down b a catch or button 25 released by a foot pe al or treadle 26 so that the plate may be caused or permitted to close the opening without the 'would-be hold-up or robber observing any aggressive act or act of protection or movement on the part of the official, thus giving an immeasurable degree of safety.

It ma be also explained that the pipes 13 are pre erably threaded as indicated at 27 in order to detachably connect to the front of the counter leaving the thin portions at the outer ends of the ipes or ports through which the bank 0 cars may shoot. That is, these pipes are designed to receive the nozzle of a gun or piston and by reason of the same being provided at spaced points, it is ible to obtain the range or proper si; t on the hold-up or robber. The front 0 the counter is finished off to provide a neat appearance, preferably of wood veneer as heretofore specified. Furthermore, those behind the counter ma observe movements of those in frontof t e counter or in the lobby of the bank while preventing clear observation of those behind the counter by those in front of the counter. The bullets that may be aimed below the top of the counter, are prevented from penetrating the same, being sufliciently thick and armored for this purpose. It is also to be understood that any number of windows may be provided.

In Figures 4 and 5 of the drawings, there is shown a modified construction of window in which there is fitted in the slot or opening 21 a slidable receptacle 28 having the si e portions 29 thereof sufficiently low to slide or pass beneath the door, said rece tacle forming a baflle or plate resting on t e top of the counter and having the front and rear walls 30 projecting above the top edges of the side walls 29 and the lower edge of the door at the window opening so as to form stop members to limit the movements of the receptacle inward] and outwardly. The receptacle is preferab y in the form of an iron or steel box which practicall keeps the open part of the window under t e railing or door closed and when positioned .outwardl the inner part will close the opening w 'le permitting the customer to deposit therein bankbooks or other matters to be handed over the counter and permit the same to be drawn in and removed or replaced therein and pushed out in front of the railing for removal bv the customer. By having the ends higher than the sides so as to overlap the railing or door, total disslacement of the box or receptacle in either lrection is prevented while at the same time not interferin with the carrying on of busines with acility. The box can be he m, it being understood that it slides ont e counter and may be locked in such 'tion to revent unauthorized access theret ro h. aving thus described the invention it I claim is:

A counter including a front wall, a plurality of pipes having their outer ends connected with the front wall and extending to a point at the rear of the counter, the front wall being relative] thin at points adjacent to the ends of t e pipes, and said pipes having flared inner ends to guide bullets through the p In testimony that as my own, I have hereto aflixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

HIRAM STOUT.

Witnesses:

JNO. H. Dnvnas, J. H. FUGATE.

i l fiaim the foregoing 

